Hashanah, Frances and Ira take Philly
own son," Wohl says. "People have
to visit his parents' graves. After
asked me if I think Philly really 'got
putting a rock on the tombstones,
it.' I think the answer is yes, in the
Philly recites his own prayer.
true spiritual sense that a bar mitzvah
"Although this was particularly dif-
is meant."
ficult for Frances and Philly, it was an
Wohl says he is happy that he
made the second film about Philly.
example of how Philly is able to find a
way to get through a difficult chal-
Yet, it's hard to live up to the success
of Best Boy. "It's
lenge successful-
hard having the
ly," Wohl says.
specter of Best Boy
On Friday
hanging over the
nights, Philly
head of this film,"
attends Jewish
he admits. "But
heritage classes
Philly is such an
at the 92nd
incredible human
Street Y, and
being, and I'm glad
during one of
I had a chance to
the sessions the
take a deeper look
meaning of bar
into who Philly
and bat mitzvah
really is."
is discussed.
For sure, Best Boy
While watching
changed Wohl's life.
Philly participate
Winning an Acade-
in the service,
my Award opened
Wohl begins to
up many doors and
think about the
allowed him to trav-
possibility of
el around the world,
Philly becoming
spending time with
a bar mitzvah.
Filmmaker Ira Wohl: "Philly is such
people he otherwise
"I thought,
an incredible human being, and I'm
would
not have been
`He has done
glad I had a chance to take a deeper
able
to
meet. It also
nothing but
look into who Philly really is."
helped him to do
good deeds and
other films.
in the most
But ultimately,
important sense,
Wohl says he
he really is a
became frustrated
man,'" Wohl
with
the film indus-
says. "So why
try. He went back to
shouldn't he get
school to become a
the recognition
psychotherapist.
the rest of us
Today he enjoys a
had?"
full practice.
And so begins
Born and raised
the process of
in
New
York, Wohl
making Philly a
earned a degree
bar mitzvah,
from City College
which is perhaps
of New York with a
the most signifi-
major in English lit-
cant part in Best
erature. He began
Man. After
filmmaking in
selecting a rabbi,
Spain, as an editing
rehearsing at the
room assistant to
synagogue and
Orson Welles on the
planning an elab-
Philly is congratulated as his sister,
famed director's fea-
orate party,
Frances, beams. -
ture film on Don
Philly finally
Quixote. Returning
stands on the
to New York, Wohl
bimah wearing his
took a job editing television commer-
yarmulke and tallit. The rabbi speaks
cials and industrial films, while start-
the Hebrew words from the Torah, and
ing to create his own short documen-
Philly repeats after him while his fami-
taries.
ly and friends from the group home
Wohl first earned recognition at
proudly look on. •
the Ann Arbor Film Festival in
"I am truly impressed how well
1973, where he received first prize
Philly rose to the occasion; I couldn't
for his short film Co Co Puffs. It is a
be more proud of him if he were my

-

-

documentary portrait of a jazz
drummer giving a lesson to a female
student.
After making four other short films,
Wohl joined the children's television
series "Big Blue Marble," where he
researched, produced, directed and
edited documentary segments. Then,
in 1976, he began working on Best
Boy, which took four years to com-
plete.
The Wohl family could not be hap-
pier with both films. In fact, its suc-
cess has made them all celebrities in
their own right.

"I think that in Best Man, Frances,
Philly's sister, was one of the biggest
surprises. She flourishes and emerges
as her own person," says Wohl. "We
did a piece for 'Dateline' on NBC
where they interviewed each of us sep-
arately, and if they don't give Frances
her own show, they are out of their
minds."
When asked if there will be another
film about Philly, Wohl is quick to
answer: "I would love to do another
one," he says, "as long as we all live
long enough."

Links In The Chain

Like Play in Ira Wohl's documen-
tary Best Man, more and more
developmentally disabled adults in
independent living programs are
studying about their. Judaism and
choosing to mark their progress with
a community-shared bar or bat
mitzvah.
Approximately 15 clients whom
JARC serves have studied and become
bar or bat mitzvah. "I do believe the
whole experience was a highlight in
their lives," says Judy Rubin, JARC's
Judaic consultant. "Never before had

they been 'center stage;' never before
had they been allowed to express their
Judaism."
Each of these men and women
had a kiddush (many provided by
the host synagogue) and a party
with family and friends.
Rubin says more JARC clients are
studying toward their bar and bat
mitzvahs to be held later this year or
early next year
Those JARC clients who have
celebrated a bar or bat mitzvah
include:

Yvonne Vandenberg,
Shit Shalom, 1990
Sharon Goldman,
Beit Kodesh, 1991
David Fishman,
Temple Israel, 1991

Rabbi M Robert Syme blesses Shirley Schlussel
during her bat mitzvah at Temple Israel

Denise Daskal,
Beth Shalom, 1991
Ruben Domnitch,
Temple Ernanu-El, 1991
Shirley Sdilussel,
Temple Israel, 1992
Rose Ziegelman,
Kol Arni, 1992
Marilyn Shekter,
Temple Beth El, 1993
Cynthia Sherman,
Temple Emanu-El, 1993
Molly Petruska,
Beth Abraham Mild
Moses, 1993
Susan Schane,
Temple Beth El, 1994
Sheryl Garfinkel,
Temple Beth El, 1994
Esther Nenner,
Temple Israel, 1994
Hagen Gottfried,
Beth Shalom, 1995
Elaine Goldman,
Temple Israel, 1997

-- Gail Zimmerman